Two Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged a glance. One of them stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said respectfully,
"Jian Lu Zūnshàng, please hand over your identity sword token for registration."
Jian Dan waved her hand. The sword token at her waist floated over on a thread of spiritual power. The man accepted it, inspected it carefully, and confirmed it belonged to Jian Lu Zūnshàng. After making a record, he finally dispelled the barrier guarding the peak.
"Jian Lu Zūnshàng, please proceed to the Hall of Heavenly Judgment. Someone there will escort you to the Cliff of Reflection."
"Mm. Thank you."
Jian Dan nodded, reclaimed her token, and walked leisurely into Heavenly Judgment Peak.
The peak was utterly barren—no spiritual plants, no signs of life. Everywhere the eye could see, there was only yellow rock, marked by ring-like patterns. This stone was known as Spirit-Absorbing Stone.
It drew in the surrounding spiritual energy and stored it deep within its core. Such ore was rare; seeing an entire mountain made of it was a rare experience indeed. The depth of a great sect's foundation was truly extraordinary.
"So that's why I could never detect any information about this place."
Liu Chuan's voice echoed in her mind.
"Of course. Not a single plant grows here, so you'd find nothing even if you tried. And I'd advise you not to send your roots into this place either."
Jian Dan continued toward the only structure on the peak, conversing with Liu Chuan through voice transmission.
"Relax, I know my limits. Places like this are only for holding dangerous criminals. Nothing worth probing."
The lone building was a two-story mobile law hall, with a black plaque bearing the words Hall of Heavenly Judgment. The calligraphy was so perfunctory it looked as if the writer had been bored.
Jian Dan stepped through the open doors. In the center stood a crimson desk, behind which sat a single cushion. The desk was piled with jade slips and held a white jade wine flask. No one was in sight.
Since it was inconvenient to scan with her divine sense, Jian Dan simply cupped her hands and called out,
"Jian Lu of Tianyue Peak, here to see Jian Wan at the Cliff of Reflection."
"So it's you."
A figure flashed into existence behind the desk. Jian Dan looked closer—it was someone she knew.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Jian Pan. My apologies for disturbing you."
He was the same person who had acted as referee during her duel with Jian Wan.
"You want to see Jian Wan?"
Jian Pan Zūnshàng's square face was expressionless; he only asked to know her purpose.
"Yes. I must trouble you, Senior Brother. The matter with the Fu family must be concluded. There are things she needs to know."
"She was sentenced to fifty years at the Cliff of Reflection, and that means fifty years. Until she leaves Heavenly Judgment Peak, she must live and endure her punishment."
Jian Dan's smile did not falter. "Senior Brother, I'm only here to bring her news of the Fu family. I wouldn't dare cause trouble on your turf."
Jian Pan nodded in satisfaction and rose to his feet.
"Come with me."
They left the mobile hall, and Jian Pan led her to the rear of the peak, stopping at the edge of a cliff of Spirit-Absorbing Stone. He pointed downward.
"Seventh level down, Bingzi Cave."
With that, he turned and left.
Jian Dan thought to herself that he was yet another man of few words and decisive action. She smoothed her hair and called,
"Cotton Candy, take me down."
"Yes, Master."
The cloud spirit transformed into a puff of golden-yellow cloud and carried her downward.
The deeper they descended, the stronger the pull of the Spirit-Absorbing Stone became. Jian Dan could feel threads of her own spiritual energy leaking away.
"No wonder Senior Brother didn't take me down himself. Anyone who comes here will have their spiritual power drawn out. No exceptions. That's why he stays in the hall above."
She quickly formed a seal, shrouding herself in Primordial Chaos Qi to slow the drain of her energy.
Cotton Candy circled the seventh level, stopping precisely in front of the cave marked "Bingzi."
Inside, Jian Wan opened her eyes, sensing a presence. She saw Jian Dan—still smiling, though her gaze now held a measure of scrutiny.
Jian Wan rose from the rock she had been seated on and walked to the cave mouth. The haughtiness that had once been her hallmark was gone, her face solemn and her presence dim.
"Jian Lu, what are you here for? To laugh at me?"
One look told Jian Dan that her opponent had only a tenth of her spiritual power left—barely enough to protect herself.
"Laugh at you? I don't have time for that. I'm here at someone's request, to tell you certain facts."
She stood atop Cotton Candy, speaking without hurry.
Jian Wan frowned. She did not know Jian Dan's true purpose, but she refused to show weakness. She also wanted to know how the matter with Jian Yu had been resolved.
"Is this about the Fu family?"
"Yes."
"Speak."
"We found a Unity stage evil cultivator in the Fu family's ancestral grounds. It was Fu Cha, the former patriarch. He has been executed, and every member of the Fu clan has been wiped out."
"What?"
Jian Wan's shock was unrestrained. She took an involuntary step forward, but a transparent barrier blocked her.
"Jian Lu, you're vicious! I'll never forgive you!"
Her words dripped with hatred. If looks could kill, Jian Dan would have perished a hundred times over.
Jian Dan narrowed her eyes slightly, idly turning the white jade ring on her finger before speaking slowly.
"Why don't you ask yourself—if the Fu family was annihilated, why are you still alive?"
"You plan to kill me yourself?"
"Humph. That's why I say you're foolish without even realizing it. At this point, you still haven't thought it through. Why do you think you alone survived? And you still waste breath asking me stupid questions."
"You—"
Her anger flared, but Jian Dan's words sank in. The repeated emphasis on her survival made her pause. She lifted her head.
"Why am I the only one left alive?"
"Because you're not a member of the Fu family." Jian Dan's tone was casual.
"Impossible! I was born there!"
"How can you be so sure? Were you born with your memories?"
"What proof do you have?"
"A simple bloodline test will do."
"They're all dead. Who would I test against?"
Though Jian Wan resisted the idea, a part of her felt it might be true.
"When your punishment is over, go to the Hall of Enforcement and find Jian Sheng. We recovered several of the Fu family's soul lamps, each containing enough essence blood for you to test."
Jian Wan fell silent, lowering her eyes. Right now, words were meaningless.
Jian Dan had Cotton Candy drift a little closer to the cave and said quietly,
"Jian Wan, you should be grateful you had a good disciple and that she entered the Law Enforcement Hall. Otherwise, you might never have had the chance to learn the truth."
"Was it Jian Ning who asked you?"
"Yes. Zhēnzūn only spared your life because he did not wish the sect to lose a high-level cultivator and pitied the difficulty of your cultivation. The Fu family gave you to the Heavenly Sword Sect long ago, abandoning you in all but name. You were merely a tool for them to gain advantage. Otherwise, why would Fu Yao have been placed at your side?
So don't speak to me of hatred and vengeance, as if you were deeply devoted to your clan. The Fu family was both your backing and your shackles. You should be glad—the only so-called blood tie you had is gone. You are free.
Now that you are not a Fu, what position do you have to come after me? And remember, the ones I killed were evil cultivators.
In the end, Jian Wan, you're a selfish person. Don't tell me you didn't notice the changes in the Fu family. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have taken the opportunity to get rid of Fu Yao and Pi Yu when you did."